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Abstract

Populist rhetoric is not restricted to rightwing or leftwing political parties. Populist rhetoric is characterized through multiple linguistic strategies which allow the persuasive inclusion of many, also contradictory electorates, and the exclusion of "others". This paper examines written genres from the media and coalition agreements in Austria, since the so-called "Wende" in the year 2000 when a new coalition gevernment was decided upon between the People’s Party and the rightwing populist party, the Freedom Party. Through the detailed linguistic analysis of texts, some (linguistic) explanations for the success of rightwing populist parties in the European Union member states will be offered.